Kerala dairy farmers upset as Karnataka stops corn stalk supply, seek Rahul Gandhi's intervention

Dairy farmers from north Kerala, especially Wayanad, are upset over a decision by Karnataka to stop the supply of corn stalks, which is an important cattle feed.

Agitated over the move, farmers under the leadership of the ruling Left-front in Kerala took out a march to the Karnataka border check-post near Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad, demanding that the decision be revoked. The farmers are also urging local MP Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to take up the matter with the Congress government in Karnataka.

Loads of corn stalks are brought to Kerala from Mysuru and Chamarajanagar regions of Karnataka and used as cattle feed. However, the supply of corn stalks to Kerala has been stopped by the Chamarajanagar district administration to avoid a shortage of corn stalks in Karnataka, especially due to adverse climate conditions.

Farmers in Wayanad lament that the scarcity of corn stalks could affect the quality and quantity of milk. The milk productivity of cattle could decrease by 25 to 50 per cent if corn stalks are not included in the feed, they say.

Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KMMF) chairman K S Mani told DH that considering the seriousness of the matter, the state government was taking up the issue with the Karnataka government.

"Corn stalks are a key feed for cattle. The farmers of north Kerala have mainly depended on the supply from border regions of Karnataka. Hence, the decision to stop the supply all of a sudden will badly affect the farmers. Wayanad is one of the largest milk-producing districts in Kerala. Hence, a fall in the milk production in the district will affect the milk production of the state too," he said.

In view of the present crisis, a recent meeting of the Wayanad district development committee decided to enhance cattle feed production in the district. Many farmers in Wayanad are already carrying out corn cultivation. However, due to the use of pesticides, many dairy farmers are reluctant to use locally-grown corn stalks.